The Konoha Life
by KyuubiLover100
Summary: Konoha City Academy is dedicated to making sure their students become the biggest names in their respective industries once they graduate and develop the skills and connections necessary to become successful later on in life. Of course this comes with trials and tribulations of its own so it's always interesting to see how everyone reacts to the same situation. Rated M for future!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This is one of those daily life fanfics featuring the lovely characters from the Naruto Universe! There are all kinds of couples throughout this story and I'm going to be starting at a very different point compared to what I've done before so here it is!

 **The Konoha Life: Chapter 1 – Welcome to the City!**

She didn't have much of a choice when it came to whether or not she went to the Konoha City Academy Spring Showcase thanks to her pushy roommates. Seeing as she came from quite possibly the smallest village ever in the existence of history, she was struggling with adjusting to the _massive_ city life that was Konoha. Konoha City Academy's first year class was already triple the size of her village's population and when it came to the student body in its entirety, well the thought of that just simply made her head spin.

"Come on, stop dragging your feet or we're going to be late," her roommate Sonozaki Mebuki urged as she held onto her hand and continued to run towards Sarutobi Amphitheater, the largest outdoor stadium on the island where hundreds of people were filtering in.

"I told you I didn't want to come," Uzumaki Kushina whined as she continued to be dragged by the two of them. "I already told you I was exhausted from moving in. Would it really be all that bad if I skipped the showcase?"

"Yes, it would be," Uchiha Mikoto told her as she wore a sweet smile on her face. "Trust us, Kushina. You're not going to regret it," Mikoto sang as they dove headfirst into the crowd of ticket holders currently shoving their way into the amphitheater.

Kushina let out a reluctant sigh and held onto Mebuki and Mikoto's wrist so that they didn't lose one another in the crowd. She saw the way Mebuki and Mikoto's face lit up at Kushina's acceptance and seemed to move a little quicker now.

"Which door was it?" Mebuki questioned as they made it out of one side of the crowd.

"That one!" Mikoto pointed and the three of them ran up to one of the staff entrances. She stopped short of the door and quickly fixed her hair and wiped away any sweat that might've collected during their sprint to the theater. Once she got the all-clear from Mebuki, she did a special knock on the door and before she could finish, the door opened. She put on a sweet smile. "Hi Fugaku-kun."

"You're late," the black-haired upperclassmen complained. It took a moment but Kushina recognized him from a photo Mikoto showed her earlier that day shortly after Kushina arrived in the dorm. And now Kushina was wondering how a bubbly and cheerful girl ended up with a stone-faced man like Fugaku.

"Fugaku-kun," Mikoto sang as she grabbed Fugaku's hand and saw him look down at her. "I'm sorry we're late. Forgive me?"

Fugaku looked at her for a moment before tapping her forehead. He watched as Mikoto giggled with a blush on her cheeks while he rolled his eyes. He did smile a little bit though when Mikoto hugged him and buried her face in his chest. He affectionately pet the top of her head before he caught sight of the unfamiliar face. "Who's this?"

"Oh," Mikoto looked up at him. "This is our roommate Uzumaki Kushina. She's from Uzushiogakure."

"Uzushiogakure?" Fugaku repeated and saw Mikoto nod. "Well welcome to Konoha and Konoha City Academy."

"Thank you," Kushina said.

"Come on." Fugaku grabbed Mikoto's hand and walked ahead with her. "We have to go on stage soon and we're cutting it close with you being late."

"Sorry," Mebuki and Mikoto said in unison as they followed.

Kushina held onto Mebuki's hand as they went pass dozens of other students wearing matching crew uniforms hurrying around and making sure everything back stage was ready for the performance. She looked at the few performers they passed and could hear them warming up, all of them appearing as professional as possible and almost intimidating to Kushina.

"About time you got here." Haruno Kizashi was in the middle of twirling his drum sticks when he saw the four of them walk up. Kushina remembered Mebuki showing her a picture earlier that day while she gushed about how handsome and cool he was.

"What took you so long?"

Kushina watched as a blonde haired and blue-eyed upperclassman walked over with a guitar on his back. He was wearing the same uniform as Fugaku and Kizashi but his sleeves were rolled up with an undone black and red plaid tie and the top few buttons undone exposing part of his chest where a blue stone hung from his necklace. His shirt was partly untucked, a silver chain hanging on his belt loops and she noticed the black sweatband around his wrist where a guitar pick was stuffed.

"Our roommate didn't want to come to the showcase," Mebuki looked at Kushina who looked away with her arms folded across her chest. "Her name is Uzumaki Kushina. Kushina, this is Namikaze Minato, the lead singer and guitarist for their band _Fire Shadow_."

Minato looked at Kushina, her red hair being the first thing he noticed about her and how it almost touched the ground, "You didn't want to come to the showcase?"

"She's new to the city." Mikoto saw Kushina look at her. "She's from Uzushiogakure so coming to Konoha and Konoha City Academy is kind of a lot on her right now."

"Would you stop telling people where I'm from? It's embarrassing enough dattebane," Kushina whined, not realizing verbal tic had come through until she saw the way they stared at her. She had managed all day without having said it so she wasn't entirely sure why right now was any different.

"That's cute," Minato chuckled and Kushina turned as red as her hair. "Well allow me to welcome you to Konoha City Academy; I hope you learn to like it here."

" _Fire Shadow_ , please take the stage," a crew member announced from not too far away. "Curtain goes up in five minutes."

Minato nodded before looking back at Kushina, "Make sure you're watching. I'm going to make it so you're glad they dragged you out here tonight."

Kushina didn't say anything as Minato, Fugaku, and Kizashi went to their positions on stage with an assisting pianist. She followed behind Mikoto and Mebuki as they went to where they could see, the three of them standing in a circle together with their arms around one another as Minato said something. She watched as they all laughed together before Minato brought his guitar around to the front and removed his pick from his sweatband. Fugaku picked up his bass and Kizashi sat at the drum set. Minato plucked his fingers against his guitar strings and mouthed the words to the song they were going to open with. Behind him Fugaku and Kizashi did the same with their respective instruments.

"Good evening everyone," they could hear their headmaster addressing the mass of students who had packed into Sarutobi Amphitheater. "For those of you who don't know, my name is Sarutobi Hiruzen, your Headmaster here at Konoha City Academy and I'm more than happy to welcome you to the 35th Annual Spring Showcase!"

The crowd cheered, their excitement causing the amphitheater to vibrate. Hiruzen heard Minato's guitar playing come through behind him which caused the crowd to yell even louder. He smiled as he walked off the stage, the curtain opening as he did to expose Fire Shadow playing together.

Minato played facing Fugaku, both of them smiling as they went back and forth before Minato stepped away and walked over to the mic to start singing.

 **Abingdon School Boys – Strength**

 _Kawaita kuchibiru itetsuku taiyou ni sarasarete_ **(My dry lips are bleached by the frozen sun)**

 _Afureru namida ga shitataru mabushisa de_ **(My overflowing tears trace me)**

 _Boku o nazoru kara_ **(with a dripping brilliance)**

 _Tarinai kasho o tada umeau you ni kimi o_ **(As if trying to bury the things we lack)**

 _motometeita_ **(I was seeking you)**

 _Fureau yubi ni tsutawaru setsunasa dake o_ **(Scrape together whatever sufferings we can communicate)**

 _Kakiatsumete_ **(in our touching fingers)**

 _Kodou no oku ni kazaru negai o_ **(the wish held out from deep within my heart beat-)**

 _Sadame to iu nara_ **(if you can call that fate-)**

 _Nokosareta kioku to nakushita kimi no omokgae ga_ **(then the remaining memories and the lost traces)**

 _Ima mo okizari no mama_ **(of you are still, even now, deserted)**

 _Kasuka no toiki to furueru manazashi ni yurameite_ **(I waver at your faint smile and trembling glance)**

 _Kosureru tamashii o me o iru kirameki ga_ **(The shine that strikes the eyes of a grating soul envelopes)**

 _Futari o tsusunde_ **(the two of us)**

 _Deawanakereba kizutsukau koto sae mo_ **(If we'd never met, do you think)**

 _Nakatta no ka na?_ **(we could have kept from hurting each other?)**

 _Mogareta hane no itami ni yorisoi nagara_ **(let us sleep quietly, snuggled up to the pain)**

 _Sotto nemurou_ **(of our plucked wings)**

 _Modorenai kara kaerenai kara_ **(we can't go home, can't go back)**

 _Inochi o karashite_ **(so shout your life hoarse)**

 _Toozakaru ano hi to nakusu bakari no kono ude ga_ **(this arm of mind longs for the long-gone days)**

 _Kimi no nukumori ni kogarete_ **(and your warmth, which I keep losing)**

Minato stepped pass his mic as he began to play his guitar solo. The crowd screaming for him as he displayed his talent, a group of girls holding up signs with his name and face on them. He looked towards backstage where his eyes met Kushina, a smile crawling onto his face at the shine in her eyes. He looked out at the crowd towards the end of his solo before stepping back to his mic, his hands grasping the mic.

 _Dare mo ga chigau sabishisa mochitotte_ **(bringing together everyone's different kinds of loneliness)**

 _Asu o hoshigaru kedo_ **(you longed for morning)**

 _Kimi ga mezashita yogorenaki sono tsuyosa_ **(with the uncorrupted strength you sought)**

 _De boku o kowashite_ **(break me)**

 _Koe ni dekizu ni taeta inori o_ **(take the prayer that died out without being voiced)**

 _Sadame to nazukete_ **(and label it "fate")**

 _Nokosareta kioku to nakushita kimi no omokage ga_ **(the remaining memories and the lost traces)**

 _Ueta kono mune ni_ **(of you are still, in this starving heart)**

 _Ima mo okizari no mama_ **(deserted even now)**

They all played together as the lyrics ended, the band bobbing their heads and the crowd doing the same with them. As the song ended with Minato's guitar being the last note the crowd heard, they erupted into thunderous cheers as they chanted for Fire Shadow.

Minato chuckled as he walked up to the mic, "How's everybody tonight?"

"We love you Minato-senpai!" a group of girls screamed from near the front, their signs and shirts having his name and face on them.

"I love you too," Minato waved and watched as that entire section swooned and had to be caught by others. He blinked a few times before looking at the crowd, "For those of you who didn't catch that, my name is Minato, Namikaze Minato and I'm a third year student at the high school with my friends Uchiha Fugaku who's on bass and Haruno Kizashi who plays drums. Our piano assistant for the night is a good friend of Fugaku's, Hyuuga Hizashi."

The three of them waved to the crowd as they clapped for them.

"I'm supposed to say some words before we played the first song apparently," Minato shrugged and the crowd laughed at his confusion. "So, um, I guess I'll start by saying welcome to Konoha City Academy, we're glad you're here with us. Our mission here is to produce the best of the best within the business of creative careers whether it be fashion, video game design, painting, or even music. The staff here is filled with people currently in the industry and they're willing to answer any and every question you may have whether it be in regard to your assignments or personal projects. The last two years I've spent here have been some of the best years of my life," Minato looked over at Kushina who was watching him, "and I have a feeling they're about to get better."

Kushina blushed while both Mebuki and Mikoto nudged her.

"We're only allowed up here for two songs so to close out our performance, we'll be playing Spiral!" Minato announced and the crowd cheered as they began to play.

 **afterward: Konoha City Academy Island – After Hours Diner**

Kushina let out a slight sigh of relief as she took a seat in one of the old-fashioned diner that was just a few blocks short of her dorm. She had to figure out how to get back on her own seeing as Mikoto and Mebuki ran off to an afterparty with Fugaku and Kizashi. Minato had offered to walk Kushina back but the minute they stepped outside of the amphitheater, Minato was swarmed and swept away by a wave of fan-girls.

"Welcome to After Hours," a waitress said as she came up to Kushina's table and put down a menu. "Do you know what you want to drink?"

Before Kushina could even utter the words "orange cream milkshake" her waitress had walked away and towards another table at the other end of the diner. Kushina sucked her teeth and ignored the dirty look her waitress shot at her, her eyes looking down at the menu. As she skimmed the menu, she could hear the chatting and snickering of a group of females who sat a few tables away from her. When she looked up to see what was funny, they were all looking at her and messing with their own hair.

She looked back at the menu. She had lost count of how many people had already commented on her hair in the fifteen hours she'd been in the city. Back home, _everyone_ had red hair and if you had any other color, you were labeled the odd one out but she wasn't back home. She was in Konoha City and an eight-hour train ride plus a three-hour ferry ride away from home.

"I see you found _After Hours_ after all."

Kushina looked up from the menu and saw Minato standing by her booth. He was out of his uniform – that Kushina assume was now in tatters – and wearing a pair of stonewashed ripped jeans with a tucked in white collared shirt underneath a black vest. On his wrist, he wore a silver watch and the blue stoned necklace from before still hung around his neck.

"Do you mind?" Minato questioned as he pointed to the seat in front of Kushina.

Kushina shook her head and watched as Minato took a seat across from her while wearing a kind smile on his face. She was about to open her mouth to speak but the waitress had miraculously reappeared and seemed to be in a much friendlier mood than when Kushina had sat down.

"Welcome back, Minato-kun," the waitress giggled, her cheeks pink from blushing. "What do you want to drink tonight? A cream soda?"

"Please," Minato said before looking at Kushina. "What about you? Are you getting anything?"

"Huh? Oh, um," Kushina looked at the waitress and saw she hadn't looked at her. "Just an orange cream soda, please?"

"And an orange cream soda," Minato told the waitress and saw her nod before floating away. Minato looked to Kushina and saw the slightly annoyed expression on her face. "What's wrong?"

"That waitress is annoying," Kushina admitted as she leaned back in her seat. "I doubt she even noticed I was sitting across from you just now."

"Well I noticed so isn't that enough?" Minato questioned and saw the slight blush that came onto Kushina's cheek. He chuckled at her reaction before leaning against the table and lacing his fingers together. "So, Uzumaki Kushina-san of Uzushiogakure, how did you enjoy the Spring Showcase?"

"It was interesting." Kushina played it cool as she looked back at the menu. "Is that something you do every year? Like a 'Welcome' Festival or something?"

"Sorta," Minato answered. "The Spring Showcase serves as a welcoming festival for incoming students and a typical concert for returning students. And as for how often we do them, we do them every quarter."

"Every quarter?" Kushina repeated as she looked up her menu and at Minato.

"Yup, every quarter," Minato said. "We have the Spring Showcase, Summer Fling, Autumnal Carnival, Winter Gala, and the Konoha City Academy End of the Year Festival."

"That's insane," Kushina said and saw Minato nod. "Do you guys have any time to actually learn anything here? From the sound of it, it seems like festivals are the main focus, don't you think?"

Minato chuckled. "I can see why you think that but I promise, you'll learn plenty in between each festival. It's not until you're really a third quarter junior or a senior where you really need to worry about participating in the festivals and whatnot. And not every participates since the requirements are ridiculously high and some shows are harder to get into than others depending on the subject."

"Is that so?" Kushina questioned and watched as the waitress returned and placed their drinks onto the table. She didn't bother thanking her as she took her milkshake and unwrapped her straw.

"Can you bring out two Sannin Combos please?" Minato requested and saw the waitress nod. "Onion rings for both and extra special sauce on the side for both the burger and the onion rings."

"Of course, Minato-kun," she giggled this time before skipping away. This time she went straight to the table of catty girls, all of them squealing as the waitress merely repeated Minato's order.

"What's a Sannin Combo?" Kushina questioned.

"It's the best thing on the menu here," Minato told her. "It's a double decker, barbeque bacon cheeseburger with grilled onions, grilled jalapenos, crispy onions, pickles, lettuce, and tomato. And their onion rings are practically heaven sent because you'll never want to eat onion rings from anywhere else again."

"You come here a lot, don't you?" Kushina questioned.

Minato grinned and scratched his cheek. "I try to stop in every once in a while when I'm not too busy. Plus, they're open late so when I get hungry in the middle of the night while I'm working on music or studying, I can swing by here and pick up a burger."

"The whole thing sounds like a heart attack honestly," Kushina added.

Minato thought for a moment before shrugging and nodding. Minato's reaction gained a giggle from Kushina and the sound of it caused a blush on Minato's cheeks this time. He took in her cheerful face and felt a tightening in his chest but before Kushina could notice, Minato cleared his throat and composed himself.

"So? How do you like it in Konoha so far?" Minato questioned.

"How do I like it?" Kushina thought for a moment as she looked down at her hands and played with her fingers. "I think I still need some time to get used to it," Kushina admitted. "I come from a village with a population of about two thousand and I used to think that was big but this…just the school itself has more people than my village. As for right now, I'm starting to think I made a mistake."

"I don't think so," Minato said.

"What makes you say that?" Kushina asked. "You just met me a little over two hours ago."

"That may be true but I have a good feeling about you," Minato said, a serious expression on his face now. "During the showcase, I saw this shine in your eyes that very few people have. The sort of shine that you get when you've decided that you're going to do everything you possibly can until you're on that stage and having everyone look at you and admire you for the work you've done that put you there. And despite knowing how much work it's going to take to get there, you're not wavered at all but even more determined than before."

Kushina blushed a bit at Minato's words. "Sure, the showcase was inspiring but I don't have a lot of confidence in my abilities. I came here to be a fashion designer, not a stage performer."

"That's all right," Minato said with a simple shrug. "A lot of people come here and say they're going to do one thing but end up doing something else entirely different."

"Was it like that for you?" Kushina questioned.

"Nope," Minato admitted and chuckled as Kushina rolled her eyes. "But I know plenty of people who changed their focus once they saw what else there is to do. And sometimes people start to focus on more than one thing and become 'Jacks of All Trades' as they're called. It's not impossible, that's for sure."

"But like I said before, I'm not a stage performing," Kushina repeated. "I have terrible stage freight and I admire people who can get up there and talk like there isn't hundreds of people watching them. I just know I wouldn't be able to do it."

"Well, never assume what you can and can't do," Minato told her. "People have a tendency to change here and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the influence the people here have on you."

"Whatever you say," Kushina said with a slight shrug and watched as the waitress returned once more with their orders in hand. She carefully placed Minato's against the table but carelessly dropped Kushina's in front of her. Luckily none of Kushina's food fell out of its basket but the look Kushina gave the waitress was enough to declare a permanent feud between the two.

"Thank you Nagisa," Minato said politely before pulling a few napkins and splitting them between himself and Kushina.

"Will you be needing anything else?" the waitress, who Kushina now knew was named Nagisa, said with a sickeningly sweet smile despite her rudeness towards Kushina.

Minato looked over both his and Kushina's plates before instinctively switched his basket with Kushina's. He smiled at the waitress who wore a now horrified expression on her face. "Is something wrong?"

The waitress, now full of shame, carefully slid Minato's basket away from him and walked away. Kushina looked at her food before looking at Minato who seemed agitated himself.

"What was that about?" Kushina questioned.

"She spat in your food," Minato explained. "Don't worry, mine is clean and probably better prepared so you go ahead and eat that while I wait for the new one."

"How did you know she did something to my food?" Kushina questioned.

Minato sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. "It happens from time to time. Go ahead and eat up."

For the remainder of their time at _After Hours_ , Minato told Kushina about his experience at Konoha City Academy and all that he'd done and was looking forward to in the years to come. He spoke enthusiastically and passionately the whole time and Kushina was captivated by him.

"I guess the main reason as to why I came to Konoha City Academy was so that I could get out of my father's shadow," Minato admitted as he picked up an onion ring and dipped it into the sauce. "All my life I've been addressed as 'Jiraiya's son' and most people never bothered to learn my name."

"Wait, Jiraiya?" Kushina paused and put her burger back down. "Jiraiya as in lead guitarist and vocalist for _Sannin_ Jiraiya?"

Minato nodded. "Yup, that's my dad."

"Really?" Kushina was taken aback. "You two look nothing alike though?"

"That's not surprising seeing as I'm adopted," Minato explained. He saw the uncomfortable expression on Kushina's face and he quickly put on a smile and waved his hand. "Ah, don't worry. There's no tragic story behind me being adopted. Considering it fate or something like that that I ended up with Jiraiya."

Kushina watched as Minato continued to eat and knew that asking anything more of his adoption wasn't going to be possible. They talked about family next. Minato told Kushina about his life growing up as a child of two _Sannin_ members and how he spent most of his adolescents on tour busses and dressing rooms. And Kushina told Minato about growing up the oldest to a stickler of a father who preferred her younger brother over her. Minato sympathized.

After their burgers were eaten and the bill was paid, Minato offered to walk Kushina to her dorm seeing as he failed to do so earlier. Kushina graciously accepted and the two of them began to stroll.

"So, what do you hope to achieve?" Minato questioned as he and Kushina walked.

Kushina thought for a moment before looking at Minato. "I want to become a fashion designer. And not one of those generic label designers; I want to start my own label called _Kitsune_. I basically want to reach the point where models are begging me to participate in my seasonal fashion shows and wearing my clothes because of how good and popular they are."

"Ambitious," Minato nodded. "Men and women's clothes?"

"Everything," Kushina told him. "I want to design a wide variety of clothes and accessories for men, women, and children. You know, children are allowed to be fashionable too."

Minato chuckled. "Yes, they are."

"What about you?" Kushina questioned. "Besides getting out of your father's shadow, what is it that you hope to accomplish?"

"I want to be remembered," Minato answered, a bit of a solemn expression on his face. "And I want my music to mean something to people. I know I won't be able to save the world but if I can just help a few people then that's enough for me."

"Admirable," Kushina commented. "And doable."

"Let's hope so," Minato said and he noticed Kushina stopped walking. He looked back at her and saw her point. When he turned to see where she was pointing, he saw they had ended up in front of her dorm. "Oh, already? I forgot how close _After Hours_ was to the First-Year Dormitory."

"It convenient," Kushina said. "I can sneak out and get another Sannin Combo when I get a taste for it next time."

Minato smiled and nodded. "Who knows, I might be there when you sneak out one time."

"We'll eat together then," Kushina said without thinking. And when she realized what it is that she had said, she blushed a bit and looked away.

"I'd like that," Minato admitted. He shoved his hands in his pockets and gave Kushina a handsome grin. "Good night, Kushina-chan."

"Ah, just a minute," Kushina said as she walked over to Minato. She looked at him for a minute before standing on her tip-toes and placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. She quickly stepped back with her cheeks matching her hair and a slight blush on Minato's cheeks as well.

"What was that for?" Minato questioned.

Kushina looked away. "It was a thank you. You were one of the few people who were nice to me today and I appreciated it so I just wanted to give you a proper thank you is all, dattebane. Anyway, good night!" Kushina shouted unnecessarily loud before scrambling for her ID and running into her building.

Minato looked after her until she was on the elevator. He waved to her as the doors closed and when she sheepishly waved back, he smiled. "Uzumaki Kushina, huh?"

 **To Be Continued…**


	2. Chapter 2

**Last Time:**

 _ **"Ah, just a minute," Kushina said as she walked over to Minato. She looked at him for a minute before standing on her tip-toes and placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. She quickly stepped back with her cheeks matching her hair and a slight blush on Minato's cheeks as well.**_

 _ **"What was that for?" Minato questioned.**_

 _ **Kushina looked away. "It was a thank you. You were one of the few people who were nice to me today and I appreciated it so I just wanted to give you a proper thank you is all, dattebane. Anyway, good night!" Kushina shouted unnecessarily loud before scrambling for her ID and running into her building.**_

 _ **Minato looked after her until she was on the elevator. He waved to her as the doors closed and when she sheepishly waved back, he smiled. "Uzumaki Kushina, huh?"**_

 **The Konoha Life: Chapter 2 –**

"Allow me to formally introduce myself, my name is Uzumaki Mito and I'll be your Introduction to Fashion Professor," she formally introduced herself to the group of wide eyed and dream filled first year students sitting in her class. She noted how they all sat with straight backs and quite possibly wearing their best outfits that took them six hours to put together once they found out she was their professor.

"Lady Mito!" Nagisa, the same Nagisa who was a waitress from _After Hours_ , raised her hair straight up into the air and spoke a little too loudly. "I'm sure I speak for everybody when I say we're truly thankful that you accepted us into your class. This is an opportunity we won't waste!"

Mito eyed her for a moment before smiling at her. "Sweetie, no one likes a kiss up on the first day," Mito spoke plainly, all the students reacting with wide eyes while only one student snickered. Mito noticed the odd one out and made her way to the back of the classroom, her designer heels clicking against the freshly polished floors, her skirt gliding against the linoleum effortlessly. She stopped at the table furthest away from the front and stood in front of the only other natural red head in the class. "You're an Uzumaki, yes?"

Kushina immediately straightened her back and cleared her throat. She nodded a few times too many in response to her question.

"In my class, I would appreciate it if you spoke your answers," Mito explained. "I'll ask again: Are you an Uzumaki?"

"I am," Kushina managed to answer in a normal voice despite every set of eyes in the classroom being fixed on her.

Mito nodded. "To be quite honest, I was thrilled to see an Uzumaki on my roster. We get very few of you off the island and here so from one Uzumaki to another, I welcome you to Konoha City Academy."

Kushina felt overwhelmed by Mito's kindness, her eyes sparkling as she smiled and bowed from her seat. "Thank you, Lady Mito!"

"You might not want to thank me yet," Mito said, her kindness fading quickly as her tone shifted. "As an Uzumaki, I plan to hold you to a _much_ higher standard than I do the rest of my students. You're here to prove that you're more than a girl from a secluded island that decided she didn't want to work on a farm the rest of her life. And to be quite honest, you're probably years behind my other students when it comes to experience and training which will make you feel like you don't belong here."

Kushina wasn't sure how to react as Mito took several steps back before turning her heel and heading back towards the front of the class. She sat there speechless, her classmates snickering at Kushina being somewhat berated by _the_ Uzumaki Mito.

"I'll let you all know this now," Mito spoke firmly, "most of you will probably flunk out of my class and trust me, I will take no personal offense to that. You all may be first year students but I'm going to treat you as though you are industry professionals because you're not here to be babied, you're here to learn the skills necessary to help you survive in the industry. You will probably pull several all-nighters, have breakdowns both emotionally and mentally, wish curses onto me from here to Timbuktu. And trust me, I've been there too and beyond. Now, if you're not ready for that kind of commitment, then you're more than welcomed to leave because I refuse to hold your hands."

There was some collective muttering amongst the students before a handful of students sulked out of their seats and left the class. Kushina saw the defeated expressions on their faces and looked back at Mito to see she was looking directly as her. Kushina could feel the sweat forming on her palms and she placed a tight grip on the edge of her skirt while biting the inside of her cheek. She met Mito's gaze without faltering and when Mito seemed to put on a proud smirk, she clapped her hands together and wore a sweet expression.

"And Now that that's done, why don't we start with a history lesson and review methods for coming up with compositions and acceptable ways to present your work in your sketchbooks and portfolios," Mito declared before walking around behind her desk and holding up the textbook. "Kushina-chan, read the first three paragraphs of the introduction."

"Yes ma'am," Kushina answered immediately before opening her textbook and beginning to read.

For the remainder of the class, Mito gave her lecture and everyone furiously took notes on everything she said. She spoke quickly yet made sure to thoroughly explain herself and what she was talking about before moving forward. She answered any and all questions her students had and before they knew it, class was over. Kushina let out a sigh of relief as she dropped her pen and rubbed her wrist, the throbbing severe from how much she had written in just that one hour period.

"Kushina, come here please," Mito called over the chatter of the students. "I'd like to speak with you in private."

Silence fell over the room as all eyes were back on her again. She swallowed hard and quickly gathered her things before scurrying over to Mito's desk. Mito simply smiled at her before continuing to sort through some papers on her desk. Kushina glanced over her shoulder and saw her classmates were attempting to linger and eavesdrop but as soon as they realized it wasn't possible, they left.

"Now that we're alone, I want to talk to you about something very important," Mito explained as she sat on her desk.

"Yes, Lady Mito?" Kushina tightened her grip on her things.

"I know I might have come off a bit harsh earlier but I want you to understand that I meant every word I said about holding you to a higher standard," Mito stated. "Not only because I was just like you when I was your age and came to Konoha but because I saw your portfolio and kicked out another student out to get you in here."

"Huh?" Kushina's eyes widen.

"You are skilled," Mito said. "And just between you and I, you had the best portfolio out of all my first-year students. So, I expect you to keep producing that kind of work and even better work by the end of the quarter, understood?"

Kushina nodded a bit before remembering Mito's earlier statement and clearing her throat. "yes, Lady Mito! Thank you so much."

"And if anyone ever bullies you for their red hair, make sure they keep their eyes on you in the future as well because once they see how far you get ahead of them, they'll come crawling back and begging for forgiveness _and_ a job," Mito said with a somewhat evil laugh, Kushina wearing a smile on her own face. "Now then," Mito wiped away a stray tear and stood up from her desk, "you hurry on to your next class. If you're late, tell your professor you were with me and that'll get you free and clear."

"Thank you, Lady Mito," Kushina said with a smile before bowing towards her and hurrying out of the room.

For the remainder of Kushina's day, she couldn't help but feel a little relieved and a bit overjoyed by what Mito had told her. Kushina had admired Mito for the longest time not only because she was one of the few to "escape" Uzushiogakure but because she made something of herself as well. It was a stagnant mentality that barely anybody actually left Uzushiogakure and actually made something of themselves.

"What's this? You're smiling," Minato noted as he took a seat beside Kushina in the quad underneath the large tree that sat in the center. "I take it you had a good first day of classes then?"

"Minato-senpai, good afternoon," Kushina said as she stretched her legs out and tapped her pencil against her sketch book. "And if I'm being honest, I did."

"Good afternoon," Minato greeted her before leaning back against the tree. "Well, I'm glad you had a good first day. Some of the teachers here can be a bit intimidating and a lot of people end up dropping their classes because of it. Those are usually the ones who don't last very long."

"I bet," she sighed. "I had Lady Uzumaki Mito for my first class and I was petrified when I went in there. She even laid into me because I was the only other Uzumaki she'd seen in her class but I guess everything worked out. She said she was happy to have me in her class."

"No way," Minato sat up and saw Kushina nod with a triumphant smile. "Lady Mito is one of the hardest fashion design teachers there is. And she barely likes any of her students, she mainly just tolerates them."

"So I've heard," Kushina noted. "Other than that, the rest of my classes are fine. What about you?"

"Eh," Minato shrugged. "I'm a senior now and I got most of my more challenging classes out of the way before now," he told her. "So, for now, I'm just cruising until graduation. Finishing up portfolio work, helping out friends with theirs, and looking for a job."

"I'm sure you won't have too much trouble with that," Kushina mentioned.

"Minato-kun."

Kushina and Minato turned to see Nagisa had approached with a group of girls, all of them having their eyes fixed on Minato while they seemed to fail to notice Kushina sitting beside him.

"Oh, Nagisa," Minato simply acknowledged her. "What is it?"

"Well, seeing as I'm in Lady Mito's class now, I was hoping you'd agree to be my model later on in the quarter," Nagisa mentioned. "I feel like my designs would really fit your aesthetic and I'm sure you're going to need headshots so you can consider this a mutually beneficial thing."

"Ah, I'm sorry," Minato apologized with a tender smile. "I already agreed to be Kushina-chan's model later this quarter. And with my schedule, I'm not entirely sure I can model for the both of you. But, I have a few friends who might be interested, do you want their names?"

"Oh," Nagisa finally turned and acknowledged Kushina, "you're helping her? I'm sure you would've noticed this by now but she really isn't going to make much of herself here. Sure, she may get a bit of a helping hand from Lady Mito but that only does so much. And she's a freshman, she can't expect to run behind Lady Mito all three years and make something of herself afterward. If I'm being honest, you're just wasting your time with a girl like her."

"Nagi-," Minato tried to speak but Kushina stood up. "Kushina-chan?"

"I hate to be the one to tell you this but whether you like it or not, you're going to come _crawling_ to me and _begging_ me for a job in the future," Kushina stated with a warm smile on her face as she took a step closer to Nagisa. "In the meantime, you can say whatever you damn well please and trust me when I say I will remember _everything_ you'll say about me and do to me. And trust me when I say that I am _not_ the one to fuck with."

Nagisa smirked. "If you so much as touch me, you're out of here. You do realize that, don't you? And I doubt you have enough money to get the school board or even the dean to turn a blind eye to you violating the rules. Face it Uzumaki, you're at a clear disadvantage here."

"That's enough," Minato said as he stood up and stood between the two of them. The way he eyed Nagisa caused her to tense up but his expression softened when he turned to face Kushina. "Come on, you're hungry, right? I know a ramen place that I think you might like."

"Sure, sounds good," Kushina muttered as she grabbed her stuff and walked away with Minato. As they walked, she held a tight grip on her sketchbook. Minato noticed and hesitated slightly before putting an arm around her shoulder and shoving his other hand into his pocket.

"If she bothers you again, let me know, okay?" Minato advised. "Us, naturally weird-colored haired people have to stick together, you know?"

Kushina looked at him for a moment and giggled at the child-like smile on his face. She nodded in response. "You're right."

 **To Be Continued…**


	3. Chapter 3

**Last Time:**

 _ **"That's enough," Minato said as he stood up and stood between the two of them. The way he eyed Nagisa caused her to tense up but his expression softened when he turned to face Kushina. "Come on, you're hungry, right? I know a ramen place that I think you might like."**_

 _ **"Sure, sounds good," Kushina muttered as she grabbed her stuff and walked away with Minato. As they walked, she held a tight grip on her sketchbook. Minato noticed and hesitated slightly before putting an arm around her shoulder and shoving his other hand into his pocket.**_

 _ **"If she bothers you again, let me know, okay?" Minato advised. "Us, naturally weird-colored haired people have to stick together, you know?"**_

 _ **Kushina looked at him for a moment and giggled at the child-like smile on his face. She nodded in response. "You're right."**_

 **The Konoha Life: Chapter 3 – Hatake**

It was about three in the morning when Minato heard his phone ring. He groaned softly as he patted around on his nightstand before finding his phone and tapping the screen twice to answer. He squinted as his eyes adjusted to the light of his screen projection and let out a heavy sigh at the sight of a young gray-haired boy.

"I'll be down in a minute," Minato muttered and the screen shut off. He sat up and rubbed his face before reaching over and tapping the side of his lamp, the dull light filling his room. He climbed out of bed, slipped on a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie before slipping into sneakers and grabbing his keys. When he went out into the living room, he saw Kizashi sitting on the couch with his eyes glued to the screen. "Don't you have class in the morning?"

"Skipping," Kizashi answered quickly as he continued to play. "Running to the convenience store? Buy me a soda, will ya?"

"I'm just going to let Kakashi in," Minato answered as he yawned. He left the dorm and made his way downstairs to the lobby where he saw Hatake Kakashi patiently waiting outside. Minato scanned his ID and typed in his security pin before the door unlocked and Kakashi was able to pull the door open and walk inside. "Hey," Minato said as he rubbed Kakashi's head before kneeling in front of him. "So, what's going on?"

"Okaa-chan woke me up and told me to come," Kakashi answered as he yawned and rubbed his eye. "I took the train and then walked the rest of the way."

Minato sighed before standing and picking him up. He groaned as he adjusted Kakashi before getting back on the elevator. He didn't ask any more questions seeing as he noticed Kakashi's tight grip on him and his light sniffling. Minato rubbed his back for a bit before the elevator doors opened on his floor and he came into the hallway.

"You hungry?" Minato questioned as he began to walk. "I can make fried rice."

"I'm bought a bento box and ate it on the train," Kakashi answered.

"Convenience store food is bad for you if you eat too much of it," Minato warned as he unlocked his door and carried Kakashi inside. "Good night Kizashi," Minato called.

"Good night," Kizashi called back and waved with the back of his hand.

"Good night," Kakashi called.

Minato walked into his room and put Kakashi down. He took Kakashi's backpack and placed it in the corner before watching Kakashi reach underneath Minato's bed and pull out a storage container. He opened it to see neatly folded clothes stuff inside.

"They'll fit," Minato muttered as he pulled off his hoodie and shifted through his drawers to find a t-shirt.

Kakashi eyed the clothes for a minute before selecting a set up pajamas and beginning to change. And like Minato said, they fit. He climbed into bed and watched as Minato went over to his phone and dial a number. "Are you calling Okaa-chan?"

"Yeah," Minato said as he brought his phone to his ear. "Go ahead and go to sleep. I'll be in in a minute," he said as he stepped into his bathroom and closed the door. He sighed and waited until he finally heard someone answer. "Kaori-senpai."

"Minato-kun," Hatake Kaori let out a heavy sigh of relief. "Did Kakashi-kun make it to you okay?"

"Yeah, he's here," Minato sighed. "What happened with Sakumo-senpai?"

"Withdrawals mainly," Kaori answered. "Do you think you can keep him with you for a few days? Sakumo's dealing with the worst of it right now and I don't want Kakashi to see him like this right now."

Minato rubbed the back of his neck and sighed again. "Yeah, I'll keep him for a couple of days," he agreed.

"Thank you so much," Kaori breathed. "I have to go now. I'll be sure to pay you."

Kaori hung up. Minato looked at his phone for a moment before heading back into his bedroom and seeing Kakashi was sitting up on his bed and waiting for him. "I thought I told you to go to sleep?"

"The light is on," Kakashi said as Minato plugged his phone back in and climbed into bed. "What did Okaa-chan say?"

"Looks like you're going to be staying with me for a couple of days," Minato answered as he turned off his lamp and laid down. "I'll take you to school in the morning and then afterward, why don't we go get some saury from that place you like?"

"Saury!" Kakashi cheered.

Minato chuckled, "Good. Now go to sleep." He rubbed the top of Kakashi's head and watched as he nestled into a comfortable position. "Good night," Minato sighed before lying on his side and closing his eyes.

The next morning, Minato wandered into the kitchen to find Kakashi standing on a chair and wrapping up a bento box. He yawned loudly and made his way to the kitchen island to see that he had prepared several of them; each of them wrapped in specialty fabrics so it was clear which one was for which person.

"Honestly Kakashi," Minato yawned as he rubbed his head, "I could have made your lunch. And you didn't have to make lunch for everybody else."

"You can't cook," Kakashi countered as he hopped off the stool and pushed it back over to the table. He removed the apron he wore and neatly folded it before storing it in one of the cupboards beneath the counter. "I also made breakfast."

"You did?" Minato looked to the table and saw the set-up. "Oh, you did. Honestly Kakashi, are you sure you're eight?"

"I'm sure," Kakashi answered as he removed a stack of phonebooks from one corner of the kitchen and put it in his seat. He climbed into his seat and picked up his chopsticks before clapping his hands together, "Itadakimasu." He picked up his bowl of rice and began to eat.

Minato sighed and smiled at Kakashi before taking a seat beside him. He picked up his chopsticks and whistled, "Fugaku! Kizashi! Kakashi made breakfast!"

Kakashi looked over his shoulder and through the window looking into the living room when he heard two doors open. He heard yawning and groaning before Fugaku and Kizashi came into view, the two of them seeming to have risen at the sound of breakfast. They both rubbed Kakashi's head before they took a seat at the table and clapped their hands together.

"Itadakimasu," the trio said together before beginning to eat.

"Thank you Kakashi," Kizashi muttered before eating a mouthful of rice.

"So, how long are you staying with us this time?" Fugaku questioned as he looked to Kakashi.

"I don't know." Kakashi turned to Minato, "How long am I staying this time, Minato-senpai?"

"A few days," Minato answered.

Kakashi looked at Minato for a few moments before picking away a piece of fish, "It's Otou-san again, isn't it?"

Minato didn't answer and Kakashi sighed.

"So, Minato," Kizashi spoke up, "what's the deal with you and Kushina? I saw you with your arm over her shoulder the other day and you two seemed pretty cozy. Are you dating?"

"What? No," Minato responded. "She and I are just friends. I basically consider her an ally since she and I both have odd natural hair colors. Just like I consider Kakashi."

"Don't lump me in with you and your weird friend," Kakashi requested as he sipped his tea.

Fugaku laughed as Minato hung his head.

"Honestly Kakashi, how can you be so cruel? Ah, don't tell me," Minato messed with Kakashi's hair before Kakashi waved his hand away, "your natural hair is brown like your mom's, isn't it? And then you went grey because you're aging backwards?"

"Huh?" Kakashi looked at him, "You're not making sense. You're not binge drinking, are you? Uncle Duy says that's not healthy."

"I'm not a binge drinker," Minato argued.

"Yeah, he only drinks an excessive amount at parties," Kizashi chimed in.

"That's the definition of binge drinking, Kizashi," Fugaku informed as he ate a piece of his omelet.

"Oh." Kizashi looked at Minato before looking at Kakashi, "Then he's most definitely a binge drinker."

The rest of breakfast consisted of Kakashi lecturing Minato about his drinking habits. And Kakashi spent most of the time reassuring Kakashi that he wasn't in binge drinker though there has been a party or two he couldn't recall. Once they were done, Fugaku was the one to do the dishes while Kizashi fumbled to get ready and head out because he was going to be late. As always.

"Come on," Minato called as he pulled on his sneakers and pulled his necklace out from underneath his shirt. He grabbed his satchel and watched as Kakashi came into the hallway holding both their bento boxes. "Fugaku, do you think you can call Hiashi? I want to rehearse tonight."

"Could you at least have told me that earlier?" Fugaku said as he came out the kitchen and made his way for the door.

"I just remembered." Minato grinned as they all headed out the door and down the hall, "So, do you think he can make it?"

"Probably not," Fugaku answered. "I'll ask him though. Don't get your hopes up though; you know how strict his dad is."

 **Downtown Konoha:** _ **The Towers**_ **– Hatake Penthouse**

Kaori paced impatiently between the kitchen and the living room until she heard the elevator ding. She watched as the doors opened and saw as Might Duy rushed in and dropped his bag by the door and removed his jacket, "Duy."

"Sorry," Duy apologized as he hung up his jacket and picked up his bag. "I promised Guy I would take him to school today and then I got stopped by a bunch of other moms and dads. Where is he?"

"I just got him into bed," Kaori answered as she led Duy into the master bedroom. "He finally finished vomiting but he's dry heaving at this point and refuses to eat anything. Luckily, he hasn't had any seizures this time around, but his chills are worst compared to the times before."

Duy nodded in understanding before entering into the bedroom behind Kaori. Lying on the bed beneath a mountain of covers was Sakumo. He was shaking terribly and his face and pillow were drenched in sweat while a wastebasket was sitting by the bed. Duy took a seat on the edge of the bed beside Sakumo and saw the weak smile he attempted to put on, "Hey."

"Hey," Sakumo coughed. "I'm sorry Duy."

Duy shook his head before beginning to shuffle through his bag, "It's fine. How long were you using before you quit?"

"Six months," Sakumo answered as he watched Duy pull a small medicine pouch from his bag and open it on the bedside table.

Duy nodded once more in understand before putting on a pair of latex gloves and unpackaging a fresh needle and breaking the seal on the vial within. He pulled the liquid into the syringe before getting up and pulling Sakumo's blanket back and rolling up his sleeve. He saw the track marks on both arms and looked back and forth between the two before deicing on which to use.

"What I'm about to give you will help with sweating, cramps, muscle aches, and anxiety," Duy explained as he tapped his arm and watched a vein pop up. "I'll give you a dose now and much later tonight, another, all right?"

Sakumo nodded and watched as Duy injected the medicine into his vein before removing the needling and covering the spot with a tiny sponge. He coughed and heaved some more, his body quaking as Duy quickly placed a bandage over the sponge and pulled the covers back onto him.

"Kaori," Duy called as he slid the syringe back into its packaged and into his medicine pouch, "I need you to keep an eye on him."

"What? You think I haven't?" Kaori argued.

Duy sighed, "Where is it?"

"Where's what?" Kaori questioned.

Duy eyed her for a moment before looking towards their closet. He pocked his medicine pouch before heading towards their walk-in closet; Kaori followed him in and watched as he began to inspect every drawer he opened.

"What are you looking for?" Kaori asked.

"You know what I'm looking for," Duy responded as he continued to search. "I've lost count of how many times Sakumo has tried to get clean just to end up shooting up again just a few days later. And you can fool whoever you want as much as you want but I know that you're not clean yourself."

"I am clean," Kaori argued.

Duy looked around before looking towards the top row of shelves. He noticed the lack of dust on one box in particular and pulled the box down. He opened it and let out a heavy sigh at the sight of the packaged white powder, pills, syringes, spoon, tourniquet, and pipe.

"Duy," Kaori watched as Duy shut the box. "Look, I can't afford to go through what Sakumo is going through. I got clean once and that was when I found out I was pregnant with Kakashi and I was absolutely miserable that entire pregnancy. I…I can't go back to that."

"Really?" Duy looked at her with an expression of disbelief. "Kaori, your husband is in there fighting his withdrawals now and trying to get clean – _again_ – and you have the audacity to stand there and say you're not willing to go through it? No one said getting clean was easy; it's pretty damn hard. I did it because I had my son to consider and Sakumo is doing it because of your son. But you can't do it because you don't want to go through the hard stuff?"

"Duy," Kaori struggled to find the words, "Duy look, I don't what kind of person I'll be if I stop, okay? I made an idiotic choice when I was fifteen years old and I haven't been able to stop since but here I am well into my twenties and I am healthy, and I am happy. I'm not going to quit cold turkey like Sakumo just because I feel obligated to do so. It's probably what's best for Sakumo because you and I both know that he would go on benders and not remember anything that happened when he was coked up and drugged out of his mind. I'm not like him."

"It doesn't matter whether you smoke meth or snort cocaine or shoot up heroine until you black out," Duy argued as he shoved the box towards her. "I get it, you are at the point where you feel you cannot function without something in your system. I was the same way, but I toughed it out because that's what parents do when they have a child! Where is Kakashi now anyway? Back at Minato's I'm assuming?"

Kaori clenched her teeth.

Duy sighed, "Look, Kaori, I get it. I do. I really do but at some point, you must consider the possibility of doing what's right for your son. As parents, we relinquished the right to be selfish the minute they were born. Sakumo wants to quit, he does, he really does but he cannot do that when you have that in this house. I'm sure he started using again _because_ he found your stash. I hope and I pray it never comes to this but this stuff will kill you and Kakashi is going to be the one to come home and find you."

"Get out," Kaori mumbled.

"Kaori," Duy breathed.

"Out!" Kaori shouted. "I appreciate what you've done for my husband, but I believe you've overstayed your welcome."

Duy eyed her for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh, "Fine."

Kaori watched as Duy left the closet and after a few brief moments, she heard the front door shut. She looked down at the box and opened it ever so slightly, so she could take a quick peek inside. She looked towards the bedroom before picking up the box and heading into their bathroom.

 **Konoha City Academy: Elementary School Division – General Education Building**

"Things are good," Minato said as he held his phone to his ear and continued to relax on the steps outside the building where Kakashi was currently in class. "The opening festival went really well. How's the tour?"

"It's great," the woman on the other end answered ecstatically. "You should come and make a guest appearance this weekend? We'll be in Kiri City; we'll buy you a plane ticket and everything."

"I can't," Minato answered. "I have an underground concert this weekend over at _Unplugged_ and this girl is going to be there."

"Oh? A girl?" she was curious now. "What kind of girl? Is this just another groupie you're hanging out with or is this like, an actual girl you're interested in? What does she look like? Is she's prettier than me? Nah, she can't be prettier than me."

Minato chuckled, "She isn't a groupie and yes, she is very pretty. I like her, and I think she likes me but I think I'm going to ask her out on an date after we perform. And hopefully she says yes because I _really_ like her. Like, a lot."

"What's her name?" a man was on the phone now.

"Her name is Uzumaki Kushina," Minato answered. "Hey, do you remember that feeling you said you got when you saw Okaa-chan for the first time? You said you felt like it was just you and just her and that you had slipped into this world you didn't know existed? And that you always wanted to see her and see her smile and felt this sudden determination to make sure she was always smiling?"

"Yeah," his father answered. "I fell in love with your mother the minute I saw her. And I chased her like crazy even though in the beginning, she didn't want anything to do with me. Luckily, the guy before me royally fucked up and I managed to slide in."

"Yeah," Minato smiled, "well, that's how I feel about Kushina. I can't really explain what it is about her but just the minute I saw her I knew I wanted her and only her."

The school bell rang and not too long after, the doors opened, and students came flooding out. He felt someone jump onto his back and he chuckled when he felt Nohara Rin rub her cheek against his and cling to him.

"I have to go now," Minato said as he stood up and carried Rin on his back. "Good luck with the rest of your tour. I'll talk to you again soon."

"We'll see you soon," his father and mother said simultaneously before he hung up.

"Senpai!" Rin cheered as she continued to hug him. "Are you taking us to go eat?"

"I'm taking Kakashi to go eat," Minato corrected her and felt something cling to his leg. He looked down and saw Uchiha Obito had wrapped himself Minato's right leg. He leaned down and rubbed his head before feel someone grab his left hand. That's when he saw Kakashi holding his hand with an excited look in his eyes.

"Saury!" Kakashi demanded.

"I know, I know," Minato said as he carefully made his way down the steps with three children clinging to him.

 **To Be Continued…**


End file.
